Chameleon
By Sirap
Part Three: The Whyley Beast
Janeway sat down at her desk and wrapped her hands around her fourth cup of coffee that morning. Two days and they were no closer to unraveling the mysterious disappearance of her Chief Helmsman and Ensign Monroe.
She was beginning to lose hope.
With all of the trials and puzzles Voyager had been forced to endure and decipher this was the first time Janeway had felt helpless.
Utterly clueless.
She couldn't charge in guns blazing to rescue her crew because she didn't know where they were. She couldn't try diplomacy, try to negotiate because she didn't know how to contact the abductors.
For the first time in as long as she could remember, she was considering giving up.
Sipping the last drop of savory coffee she stood. She headed to the recycler. Letting the mug slip from her fingers she watched it disappear. Vanish.
Maybe she was being impatient. Probably, the solution to her latest predicament would come to her in time. Tom Paris was a talented young man. Alex Monroe had spent time in the Marqui. Both were capable officers.
She just hoped they were all right.
* * * *
Monroe and Tom woke up the next morning fatigued and tired. Hearing the forcefield crackle they looked up. It began to glow, forming a wall of blinding light and they quickly shielded their eyes. When the brightness once again dimmed down they saw the forcefield was gone. Where it had been lay an entrance to another world. A jungle. Vines wove their way into the cell, covering the immaculate white walls with greenery and blossoming flowers.
An inhuman roar sounded through the vastness of green foliage. It was a predatory cry and a shiver ran up Alex's spine.
"I'm guessing that's our Whyley beast." Tom quipped.
Alex's green eyes were wide with terror. "We can't do this Tom," she whispered. "We won't be able to defeat it."
Tom glanced over at her. Together they had seen many things, she'd never before had that look of fear in her eyes.
"Alex, we have to, it's our only chance to return home."
"I'm scared," she whispered, her voice cracking. "We need to escape. We have to get away from here."
"We can't."
"Why not!" she cried.
"Malesint already told us there is no escape. This is our only chance. I can't do this without you."
Monroe nodded shakily, "You're right, but this won't be a fair fight, Tom. We don't even have weapons."
Tom's eyes strayed to the circuitry that had created the forcefield.
"We'll just have to improvise."
Tom kneeled in front of the wall and once again pried part of it off. He pulled various circuits and conduits and placed them on the floor, he then began to piece them together.
Monroe moved to sit behind him but as she lowered herself to the ground she cried out in pain and grabbed her back. Tom's head shot up and he left the circuitry on the floor as he went to help her.
"Is it the implant acting up again?" he asked.
Monroe could only nod, her eyes were creased in pain.
Tom lifted up her shirt to examine her back. The skin was angry and swollen.
"I'm cold, Tom," Monroe whispered.
Tom cursed and tried to push down the panic welling up within him. The implant in her back had been inserted after she had graduated from Starfleet. It was made to increase response time and stimulate the brain. It could make you both react and solve problems quicker. It had been mandatory for everyone in Monroe's section of the Academy to get the implants but it was banned when side affects began to arise.
Tom took off his jacket and put it on Monroe. Tom knew this might happen someday. The implant was malfunctioning and causing all of Alex's internal systems to shut down. The only way to stop the degradation would be to remove the implant. The surgery was extremely risky with only a 50% success rate (which is why they had put it off).
Regardless, Tom knew he needed to get her back to Voyager so the Doctor could perform the surgery. It was Alex's only hope. Trying to focus his mind, he helped Alex lay down and turned his attention back to the circuitry. He expertly placed the circuits together to form a makeshift phaser.
"What are you doing?" Alex croaked.
Tom knelt beside her. "I'm going to get us home," he whispered.
"Don't leave me," Alex pleaded softly, grasping his hand. "I don't want to be alone."
"I'll only be gone a moment," Tom promised. "I need to take care of something, then we can go home. I just need you to hang on for a little while, okay?"
Alex nodded, "I'll be alright, but don't be gone too long, I don't like it here."
Tom waited for Alex to fall asleep then headed into the jungle, his fingers clenched around the phaser in his hand. He wasn't sure if it worked, he couldn't test it either, it might only have enough power for one shot.
He followed a worn dirt path, he could see footprints imbedded in the dark black ground and imagined all those who had walked this road before him. All those aliens who had been brought here against their will and forced into a fight. A fight that they all lost.
Tom covered his nose against the stench as the first signs of destruction began to appear. He came upon half of a blood stained bat'leth, and half of a Klingon skeleton beside it.
Tom trekked on, ignoring the carnage around him. He cautiously stepped out into a clearing and immediately tensed. He was facing a vast forest. About twenty meters away plumage began to get tossed up through the canopy. Something was coming towards him. He raised his phaser. The creature was on the edge of the trees, now. All Tom could see of it was its two red eyes. They were speckled with black and a black slit was slashed down the middle. The eyes were primal and ruthless, suiting of their owner. The beast ripped one of the trees up by the roots and tossed it effortlessly somewhere over Tom's head, the he stepped into the light.
Tom used all his self-control to keep his phaser and his jaw from dropping to the ground. It stood a good 25 meters and was covered in a layer of matted fur so dark it was almost purple. Its teeth and claws were razor sharp and stained with blood. Even at a distance Tom could see the plaque and cavities in the grotesque yellow canines. Its back and tail were covered with spikes, the same color as his teeth and claws. It threw back its head and let out a guttural cry before turning his blood red eyes back to Tom.
Its tail swung wildly around, its sharp spikes aiming for the pilot. He reaimed his phaser at the ogre. Pressing the button a green ray of energy shot out, hitting the creature in the shoulder. Its pupils seemed to dilate and he let out another roar, it was more predatory than a cry of pain. The beast swung one of his clawed paws at Tom, Tom cried out in pain as the claws ripped through his shoulder. He was knocked to the ground and the phaser slipped from his grasp. The beast made another swipe for Tom but he moved out of the way just in time, rolling across the soft dirt Tom grabbed the phaser. He was on his stomach the phaser clutched in front of him with both hands.
He was eye to eye with the enormous monster. He pressed the button on the phaser without hesitation. Tom heard it click and a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.
It didn't fire.
To be continued. don don don
By Sirap
Part Three: The Whyley Beast
Janeway sat down at her desk and wrapped her hands around her fourth cup of coffee that morning. Two days and they were no closer to unraveling the mysterious disappearance of her Chief Helmsman and Ensign Monroe.
She was beginning to lose hope.
With all of the trials and puzzles Voyager had been forced to endure and decipher this was the first time Janeway had felt helpless.
Utterly clueless.
She couldn't charge in guns blazing to rescue her crew because she didn't know where they were. She couldn't try diplomacy, try to negotiate because she didn't know how to contact the abductors.
For the first time in as long as she could remember, she was considering giving up.
Sipping the last drop of savory coffee she stood. She headed to the recycler. Letting the mug slip from her fingers she watched it disappear. Vanish.
Maybe she was being impatient. Probably, the solution to her latest predicament would come to her in time. Tom Paris was a talented young man. Alex Monroe had spent time in the Marqui. Both were capable officers.
She just hoped they were all right.
* * * *
Monroe and Tom woke up the next morning fatigued and tired. Hearing the forcefield crackle they looked up. It began to glow, forming a wall of blinding light and they quickly shielded their eyes. When the brightness once again dimmed down they saw the forcefield was gone. Where it had been lay an entrance to another world. A jungle. Vines wove their way into the cell, covering the immaculate white walls with greenery and blossoming flowers.
An inhuman roar sounded through the vastness of green foliage. It was a predatory cry and a shiver ran up Alex's spine.
"I'm guessing that's our Whyley beast." Tom quipped.
Alex's green eyes were wide with terror. "We can't do this Tom," she whispered. "We won't be able to defeat it."
Tom glanced over at her. Together they had seen many things, she'd never before had that look of fear in her eyes.
"Alex, we have to, it's our only chance to return home."
"I'm scared," she whispered, her voice cracking. "We need to escape. We have to get away from here."
"We can't."
"Why not!" she cried.
"Malesint already told us there is no escape. This is our only chance. I can't do this without you."
Monroe nodded shakily, "You're right, but this won't be a fair fight, Tom. We don't even have weapons."
Tom's eyes strayed to the circuitry that had created the forcefield.
"We'll just have to improvise."
Tom kneeled in front of the wall and once again pried part of it off. He pulled various circuits and conduits and placed them on the floor, he then began to piece them together.
Monroe moved to sit behind him but as she lowered herself to the ground she cried out in pain and grabbed her back. Tom's head shot up and he left the circuitry on the floor as he went to help her.
"Is it the implant acting up again?" he asked.
Monroe could only nod, her eyes were creased in pain.
Tom lifted up her shirt to examine her back. The skin was angry and swollen.
"I'm cold, Tom," Monroe whispered.
Tom cursed and tried to push down the panic welling up within him. The implant in her back had been inserted after she had graduated from Starfleet. It was made to increase response time and stimulate the brain. It could make you both react and solve problems quicker. It had been mandatory for everyone in Monroe's section of the Academy to get the implants but it was banned when side affects began to arise.
Tom took off his jacket and put it on Monroe. Tom knew this might happen someday. The implant was malfunctioning and causing all of Alex's internal systems to shut down. The only way to stop the degradation would be to remove the implant. The surgery was extremely risky with only a 50% success rate (which is why they had put it off).
Regardless, Tom knew he needed to get her back to Voyager so the Doctor could perform the surgery. It was Alex's only hope. Trying to focus his mind, he helped Alex lay down and turned his attention back to the circuitry. He expertly placed the circuits together to form a makeshift phaser.
"What are you doing?" Alex croaked.
Tom knelt beside her. "I'm going to get us home," he whispered.
"Don't leave me," Alex pleaded softly, grasping his hand. "I don't want to be alone."
"I'll only be gone a moment," Tom promised. "I need to take care of something, then we can go home. I just need you to hang on for a little while, okay?"
Alex nodded, "I'll be alright, but don't be gone too long, I don't like it here."
Tom waited for Alex to fall asleep then headed into the jungle, his fingers clenched around the phaser in his hand. He wasn't sure if it worked, he couldn't test it either, it might only have enough power for one shot.
He followed a worn dirt path, he could see footprints imbedded in the dark black ground and imagined all those who had walked this road before him. All those aliens who had been brought here against their will and forced into a fight. A fight that they all lost.
Tom covered his nose against the stench as the first signs of destruction began to appear. He came upon half of a blood stained bat'leth, and half of a Klingon skeleton beside it.
Tom trekked on, ignoring the carnage around him. He cautiously stepped out into a clearing and immediately tensed. He was facing a vast forest. About twenty meters away plumage began to get tossed up through the canopy. Something was coming towards him. He raised his phaser. The creature was on the edge of the trees, now. All Tom could see of it was its two red eyes. They were speckled with black and a black slit was slashed down the middle. The eyes were primal and ruthless, suiting of their owner. The beast ripped one of the trees up by the roots and tossed it effortlessly somewhere over Tom's head, the he stepped into the light.
Tom used all his self-control to keep his phaser and his jaw from dropping to the ground. It stood a good 25 meters and was covered in a layer of matted fur so dark it was almost purple. Its teeth and claws were razor sharp and stained with blood. Even at a distance Tom could see the plaque and cavities in the grotesque yellow canines. Its back and tail were covered with spikes, the same color as his teeth and claws. It threw back its head and let out a guttural cry before turning his blood red eyes back to Tom.
Its tail swung wildly around, its sharp spikes aiming for the pilot. He reaimed his phaser at the ogre. Pressing the button a green ray of energy shot out, hitting the creature in the shoulder. Its pupils seemed to dilate and he let out another roar, it was more predatory than a cry of pain. The beast swung one of his clawed paws at Tom, Tom cried out in pain as the claws ripped through his shoulder. He was knocked to the ground and the phaser slipped from his grasp. The beast made another swipe for Tom but he moved out of the way just in time, rolling across the soft dirt Tom grabbed the phaser. He was on his stomach the phaser clutched in front of him with both hands.
He was eye to eye with the enormous monster. He pressed the button on the phaser without hesitation. Tom heard it click and a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.
It didn't fire.
To be continued. don don don
